2019 Roundup|The Stars Are Aligning

2019 has been a whirlwind! It’s been crazily draining yet insanely gratifying. Mind you, 2019 isn’t over yet, we still have 7 days to go and to be honest, I am looking out to getting some 11th-hour miracle.

So to the crux of this post, how has 2019 been for me (Gift Collins)?

If I am to summarize in one word it would be “Unexpected”. Yes, the events of 2019 have mostly been unexpected. I am literally living my dreams and it feels so surreal because I didn’t think the stars will align in my favour so soon. But here I am, writing this post with a wide grin, peace of mind and surrounded by my loved ones.

What I Learnt in 2019

If I start to talk, this blog post would roll into over 3000 words, no jokes! So to save y’all from the daunting task of reading an exceptionally long blog post on the eve of Christmas, I am going to give a quick run-through.

1. In Business, there are no friends: Perhaps the best thing I learnt in 2019, given that the person who gave me this word on marble is someone I greatly admire. I am a major advocate of friendship but truth be told, when it comes to business/work, friendship should be practised within boundaries. So if embarking on a business venture with friends, don’t take the seemingly little things like legalising your dealings because eventually, these “little things” you forsook might just come back to hurt you.
2. The Corporate world isn’t all sugar and cream like we all thought: Ughhh, this is one of the hardest lessons I learnt this year. In 2018, with barely a few days to kiss the year goodbye, I secured my first full-time 9-5. So, 2019 started on a high for me-this eventually became a low as I became terribly ill, lost dear friends and fell into loss-induced depression ( Click on the highlighted text to read). Now, where were we? Oh yes! I was telling y’all how “The corporate world isn’t all rosy”. Growing up, I always thought white-collar jobs were the ish, so I looked forward to completing my education and gaining experience in the corporate world before setting off to start up my own outfit. However, within the last year, I’ve learnt that surviving in a cut-throat industry such as the one I work in requires the grit and determination of an ace chessplayer.
3. Hard-work pays: Forget anything else you’ve been told but success isn’t just gotten, it is EARNED. In 2019, I have learnt that putting body, soul and spirit into pursuing one’s goals eventually pay off.
4. Rest and Replenish: The “hustle culture” of our time is one that can utterly sweep you into an oblivion of what life truly is if you aren’t careful. I have learnt to sometimes just stop, rest and replenish. It isn’t you being lazy, it’s you valuing your mental and physical stability. Lately, my slogan has been “My tired is tired”. Yeah, I have literally crashed and burned several times this year and looking back at it all, I realise that if I had rested and replenished more often, my 2019 would have turned out more fruitful. You can bet I won’t be repeating these same mistakes come 2020. Like a dear friend said to me, do whatever it takes to actually get the rest you truly deserve, It is what’s best for your mental health.

What I Read In 2019.

Reading is one of my favourite past times. I grew up reading a slew of books. One thing which has been consistent is how my reading preferences improve as I grow. In 2018, I read a lot of personal help/development and self-growth book.

Related: 5 development books that completely changed me.

In 2019, I continued with personal development books and as the year went by, I gravitated towards more indigenous books and sometimes I relapsed and read one or two harlequin romance.

These are all the books I luckily noted down. I am sure there are a few more I missed out on but still this list is decent.

What I Watched in 2019

In summary, I will say I watched more Nollywood movies this year than I ever had since I took in my first breath. I can’t for the life of me remember most of them but yeah, I watched a whole lot.

My favourites movies this year are;

1. Green Book
2. American Son
3. In my Country
4. Mokalik
5. Ojukwu ( series)
6. The Good husband
7. Trials of Mape.
8. Bling Lagosians
9. Once upon a time in Hollywood

Where I went in 2019.

Mostly in and about the city of Lagos. Work took me to Abuja, Ghana and Enugu. Currently, I am in the beautiful city of Port-Harcourt.

What I listened to in 2019.

Music, music, music and loads of podcasts too. I also tried out audiobooks.

Major Achievements in 2019.

To be honest, I want to write a handful but mehn, there’s really no need for all of that because STAYING ALIVE itself is a major achievement. However one of the highpoints for me this year was bagging my NYSC certificate.

What I am Looking forward to in 2020

1. Becoming one of the best and highly sought after scriptwriters in the industry.
2. Producing my own movie!!! You can tell I am super-duper excited about this one.
3. Achieving all my goals and desires for 2020. from my mouth to God’s ears.

2019 roundup- it was a glorious year, I had major wins and fewer losses, so yes it was a pretty decent year for me. #StayingGrateful.

Cheers to all the beautiful things to come in 2020. P.s- 2020 is extra special because your girl is going to have a birthday. Mark the date, 29th February 2019.

How has your 2019 been? Do share your experience with me, I will really love to hear.

Gift Collins